SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. NOV, 1 2012 – Ustream (www.ustream.tv), the leader in live online video, has teamed up with Video the Vote (www.videothevote.org) to power citizen reporters with a seamless platform to broadcast election hotspots across the country with the Ustream mobile app. On Tuesday, November 6th, citizen reporters will go live on the Ustream mobile app from polling locations to watchdog the voting process through live video in order to help monitor voting intimidation and voter suppression in key states throughout the U.S.

Video the Vote and Ustream are currently looking for volunteers to act as citizen reporters across the country to provide live-broadcast reports directly from the front lines on Election Day. These reporters will monitor the polling locations, providing live video feeds directly from their mobile devices with Ustream’s variety of mobile applications. Especially in states with indications of voter suppression tactics, including: NV, FL, OH, PA, NC, VA, WI, AZ and CO, these reports will help to provide transparency about what is occurring at polling location across the country. Citizen reporters can sign up at (www.videothevote.org/sign_up) to cover Election Day and download the apps directly from Ustream.

In the last three years, Ustream has seen an almost 50 percent increase in the use of mobile devices as the main source of viewing content and 1 out of 8 broadcasts are live from mobile devices. Ustream’s development team has designed and created theUstream mobile app for theiPhone, iPad andAndroid devices making the process of streaming live broadcasts and viewing this content as easy as a touch of a button.

Citizen reporters are a critical part of the changing journalism landscape, something that has been seen throughout the past year, both internationally (Arab Spring and Russian protests) and here at home with the Occupy Movement. To help these new citizen journalists better share their stories with the world, Ustream is providing tips and training in advance of the election. Interested parties can learn more here.

“Ustream is the #1 platform of choice for citizen reporters around the world to document the emergence of democratic movements. From Tahrir Square, to Damascus, to Moscow, the Ustream mobile app has been a powerful beacon of truth in a turbulent world,” said Ustream CEO Brad Hunstable. “The power of live video in the hands of committed witnesses to the democratic process allows them to ensure the integrity of that process. We’re excited to lend our broadcast network to the cause of ensuring a transparent and fair Election Day in the United States.”

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.– October 1, 2012— Ustream Inc. today announced that they will be throwing the world’s largest presidential debate watch party on Wednesday, October 3, to celebrate the new Ustream live broadcast network. The main attraction of the watch party will be a live broadcast of the debate as well as hundreds of shows featuring real-time commentary and views, from the serious to the seriously funny. With more than 57 million viewers per month worldwide, this event promises to shift millions of viewers from traditional television consumption to a live, social, interactive experience. The network’s new 24/7 real-time programming guide reflects video viewing trends across both social networks and professionally produced channels such as News, Entertainment, Sports, and Animals/Wildlife.

The debate watch party news partners include: A live broadcast of the debate from PBS NewsHour and analysis from WSJ Live; a planned protest by Occupy Denver and Occupy the Debates; a three hour pre-debate special from Breitbart News with Larry O’Connor; a debate panel from the League of Young Voters; and learn what’s at stake for women and get informed with PopSugar Gen Y culture reporters.

Viewers will also be able to tune into alternative perspectives from around the entertainment industry including: queens from Logo TV’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race;” comedian Scott Rogowsky; Cracked.com’s web series “After Hours;” and the 2013 Hooters Calendar Girls, appearing with hosts Al Del Bene and Rich Aronovitchof Ustream’s original comedy series, “Show Interrupted.” Viewers seeking other ways to express their patriotism can watch live eagle cams or simply relax and enjoy an adult beverage with the Debate Drinking broadcast.

“Ustream’s unique platform has upended audience sizes expectations for online video. We saw 9 million combined total views during the Mars Rover Landing and iPhone 5 announcement on Ustream, in both cases, exceeding traditional broadcast and cable ratings,” said Brad Hunstable, Founder and CEO of Ustream. “The new Ustream network takes live video viewing to an entirely new level by surfacing and organizing the world’s most compelling live experiences based on both social recommendations and our new team of experienced producers.”

“From serious breaking news, to entertainment, sports, and nature broadcasts, Ustream has become the go-to broadcast network, with multiple live perspectives of unfolding events,” said Cybil Wallace, Ustream’s new Executive Producer and CNN and AP veteran. “Our new site gives us the flexibility to consistently present viewers with the most compelling live experiences from around the world, whether from professional media outlets or citizen reporters.”

The new Ustream discovery experience surfaces the most interesting live and relevant content from across tens of thousands of broadcasters in the Ustream network. There will be permanent channels for Ustream’s most popular content groups: news, entertainment and music, sports, animals and wildlife; as well as pop-up collections of live videos from breaking news and trending topics. This innovative format allows Ustream to deliver viewers and broadcasters deep, compelling experiences every day.

For viewers looking for a more in depth experience with a broadcaster, they can preview content right from the homepage and then dive into newly designed broadcaster pages. Broadcasters are able to trick out their pages with customized graphics, widgets, recorded video, embed their live broadcasts on Facebook, and much more. Viewers are able to RSVP to upcoming events, participate in live discussions through the social stream, leave Facebook comments, and follow their favorite broadcasters. Ustream’s new channel pages and video player have been optimized to enhance viewing and social engagement.

The new Ustream also includes social and personalization features. When logged-in users can see what content their Facebook friends have watched and keep tabs on broadcasters that they follow. For those on the go, a new mobile version of Ustream is available with all of the great live content that you are able to find on the network.

Chicago, Illinois, USA – Chicon 7, the 70th World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon), is pleased to announce that the 2012 Hugo Awards Ceremony will be re-broadcast in its entirety and ad-free via Ustream on Sunday, September 9, starting at 7 p.m. CT (8 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. PT) at www.ustream.tv/channel/hugo-awards.

The original live broadcast of the ceremony was interrupted on Sunday, September 2 when an automated infringement system detected content in the stream that it deemed copyright infringement. Although the material was cleared for Chicon 7 use, the feed could not be restored before the ceremony concluded, meaning that fans around the world were unable to enjoy the remainder of the show.

Ustream founder and CEO Brad Hunstable spoke directly to Chicon 7 Chairman Dave McCarty on Tuesday, September 4, and expressed his regret at the loss of the broadcast. Hunstable’s online blog post notes “Unfortunately, we were not able to lift the ban before the broadcast ended. We had many unhappy viewers as a result, and for that I am truly sorry. As a long-time Firefly, Stargate and Game of Thrones fan among others, I am especially disheartened by this”…. “I have suspended use of this third-party system until we are able to recalibrate the settings so that we can better balance the needs of broadcasters, viewers, and copyright holders. While we are committed to protecting copyright, we absolutely must ensure our amazing and democratizing platform allows legal broadcasters to Ustream their events and shows.”

To makeup for the disruption to the original broadcast, Ustream will feature the full un-edited and bot-free ceremony on its Homepage this Sunday, September 9, starting at 7 p.m. CT. Ustream will also run the broadcast ad-free on the Worldcon Hugo Awards channel at www.ustream.tv/channel/hugo-awards, and provide additional marketing and promotional support to raise the profile of the event. The broadcast will subsequently be available from the same channel on an on-demand basis. Ustream has also offered additional support and publicity for the streaming of future Hugo Award Ceremonies for upcoming Worldcons in San Antonio, TX (2013) and London, UK (2014).

According to Dave McCarty, “this incident is just one of several that have been in the news recently, and it reflects a broader challenge faced by the industry. I welcome Brad’s personal response and his commitment to review the way in which channel suspensions are triggered and controlled. And of course, we are delighted that all science fiction fans can experience a great Hugo Awards Ceremony which celebrated the best in recent science fiction literature and media and its fans. As Chair of the Hugo Award Marketing Committee, I also look forward to building this partnership with Ustream over the coming years.”

Free New App Transforms Facebook Timeline into a Personal, Live Broadcast Network

SAN FRANCISCO—August 22, 2012—Ustream announced today the availability of its newest free mobile iPhone app Broadcast for Friends (BFF) on iTunes. BFF is the first iPhone app that lets users instantly broadcast unlimited live video to their friends on Facebook Timeline. During a live broadcast, friends’ Facebook comments are displayed in real-time to the BFF broadcaster. BFF also allows the broadcaster to change the look and feel of the live video with 10 Hollywood-inspired filters like “Maltese” (saturated black and white), “Vendetta” (prominent reds) and “Valentino” (silent film look). The free iOS app is available by visiting http://bit.ly/RdrPks. To view a demo of BFF in action, please visit http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/24753525/theater.

Today, R&B superstar Trey Songz announced he will be going live via the Broadcast for Friends app from his personal Facebook page on Sunday, August 26 at 7:00 p.m. PT/10:00 p.m. ET to celebrate the release of his new album Chapter V.

“Ustream has always been the first to bring live, mobile broadcasting products to market, revolutionizing the way people share life experiences,” said Brad Hunstable, CEO and co-founder of Ustream. “Our unique broadcast technology enables Ustream to combine powerful live video events with the powerful reach of Facebook. The live aspect is what really makes BFF special; at the end of the day you would much rather see a concert live, in-the-moment rather than a recorded version.”

Ustream shipped the first mobile broadcasting app, Broadcaster, for the iPhone in 2009 and for Android in 2010. With this announcement, Ustream extends its leadership into the rapidly growing intersection of mobile and social live video. Ustream’s goal for Broadcast for Friends is to empower non-professional, everyday people to broadcast what they believe to be newsworthy, live to their world.

How it Works
The Broadcast for Friends app makes it very easy for any iPhone user to share live “socialcasts” like weddings, concerts, graduations, PTA meetings, breaking news events or even the first time a toddler walks with all of their friends on Facebook. BFF users simply connect to their Facebook account through the app and then click the “Broadcast” button to stream live to their Facebook Timeline.

BFF users can easily set privacy settings for their socialcasts for friends-only, self-only or public. At the end of the broadcast, a recorded version of the video can be saved to the user’s Facebook Timeline for on-demand viewing.

“Ustream’s investment in network infrastructure and patented streaming technology allows us to scale millions of simultaneous broadcasts across the Facebook global social audience,” notes Gyula Feher, CTO and co-founder of Ustream. “Only Ustream is able to deliver the massive scale required to support a consumer broadcast app like BFF.”

SAN FRANCISCO– August 22, 2012–Ustream Inc., the leader in live, interactive, streaming video, today announced an exclusive agreement to power PBS NewsHour’s round-the-clock, 24-hour live coverage of this year’s Democratic and Republican National Conventions. This Washington, D.C., / Silicon Valley partnership will take online breaking news to the next level by combining three important elements: Ustream’s innovative live-broadcast streaming technology, the platform’s mobility to stream news anytime, anywhere, and PBS’s award-winning journalism.

Viewers can kick off PBS’s coverage of the conventions with a dynamic and interactive conversation about politics, technology and media during a live Q & A session with VicePresident of Ustream Craig Mullaney, PBS NewsHour Political Editor Christina Bellantoni and Senior Correspondent and Anchor of PBS NewsHour Gwen Ifill –– live today at 11 a.m. (EST) via Ustream.

The partnership between PBS and Ustream will extend the reach of PBS’s coverage of the convention to today’s generation of social media and mobile-savvy consumers by having live-broadcast streaming of breaking political news action at the convention. Voters and viewers can provide their perspective and engage in the discussion while watching the coverage online by sharing their views on Ustream’s social streaming chat room.

“PBS NewsHour has been increasingly dedicated to providing our readers with our unique brand of MacNeil/Lehrer journalism where ever and whenever they want it. Live online streaming content has been key to making that possible. Our partnership with Ustream for the 2012 Democratic and Republican conventions is reinforcing our commitment to telling the stories that need to be told by tapping into a wide range of voices,” said Linda Winslow, executive producer of PBS NewsHour. “We want our viewers to share their perspectives and thoughts on this year’s presidential campaign via Ustream’s social stream alongside NewsHour’s live coverage.”

During the convention coverage, PBS will be streaming at least five streaming channels via Ustream including one channel for Spanish speaking viewers. Other features during the convention only found on Ustream include:

Arena Cam: Showcasing the hustle and bustle on the convention floors

Workspace Cam: Viewers can get up close and personal and see daily actions of the speakers rehearsing, writers preparing speeches, the ins and outs of the booths on the convention floor and politicians working together

Helmet Cam: During the daytime hours, viewers can be down on the convention with a special helmet-mounted Android phone

Share Your Views Via Ustream’s Social Stream: This feature allows users to chat instantly with broadcasters and viewers alike while taking the concept of watching live broadcast streaming and being an on-the-spot commentator to a whole new level.

“Today’s social media generation wants to have the ability to interact and share their voice while watching live broadcast streams of breaking news, political scandals and on-the-spot protests via their mobile devices, tablets or computers,” remarks Craig Mullaney vice president of operations and strategy at Ustream. “It’s a perfect combination: mixing the power of Ustream with 24-hours of politics with an established media outlet like PBS NewsHour. We cannot wait to see the debates on Ustream’s social stream heating up during the conventions.”

Ustream’s development team has designed and created the Broadcasters mobile app for the iPhone, iPad and Android devices making the process of streaming live broadcasts and viewing this content as easy as a touch of a button along with viewers providing instant commentary. Over the last two years, Ustream has become the online headquarters for thousands of citizen journalist due to the mobility of this app allowing them to break news anytime and anywhere by having a live-satellite truck in their back pockets.

Company Reports Accelerating Growth in Subscription Revenues and Users

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.– August 13, 2012— Ustream Inc. today announced that its board of directors, after completing an extensive external search, has named Ustream Co-Founder Brad Hunstable as the CEO. Hunstable has been serving as interim CEO since November of 2011. Ustream also announced accelerating momentum across its business, including a 170 percent growth in subscribers to its Pro Broadcasting service, 290 percent in subscriber revenue growth and 300 percent growth in Pay-Per-View revenue, all in the six-month period ending June 2012 vs. June 2011. Register users and mobile downloads have increased by more than 100 percent: a strong indication of the fututure growth of Ustream.

“The board has been very impressed by Brad’s leadership as interim CEO, building an impressive team of A players, driving growth in Ustream’s core business and putting the company on a firm financial footing for accelerated growth,” said Gen Isayama, Ustream director and partner at DCM. “The board is very excited by Ustream’s opportunity to extend its leadership in the live, social video space to capture a dominant share of live broadcasting revenues.”

“I am thrilled to be leading the Ustream team at a time of rapid growth in the live video broadcast market,” noted Hunstable. “With new broadcast products and our editorial strategy coming into sharp focus now, we are poised to build on the momentum we announced today. We foresee very strong financial performance in 2012 and even faster expansion in 2013.”

Hunstable co-founded Ustream more than five years ago with a vision to bring live broadcast technology to the entire world. Since then, the company has established itself as the leading live, social video site. Hunstable has been ranked among 50 “Digital Power Players” by the Hollywood Reporter and on Variety’s Producers Guild of America’s Digital 25: Visionaries, Innovators and Producers for his work at Ustream. Brad is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and holds an MBA from Ohio State.

– Visitors to SharkWeek.com Can Control First Underwater 360-Degree Live Streaming Camera from Georgia Aquarium’s Ocean Voyager Exhibit –

(Silver Spring, Md. and Atlanta, Ga.) – As Americans prepare to celebrate the 4th of July holiday, thoughts turn to summer rituals: trips to the beach, barbeque’s with friends and…SHARK WEEK. The annual summertime pop culture event will return to Discovery Channel on August 12, marking 25 years of celebrating the often misunderstood and feared creatures of the deep. Beginning today, viewers are invited to get a jump on the festivities and dive with sharks (no wet suit required) through Shark Cam, a live streaming underwater experience from the 6.3 million gallon Ocean Voyager Exhibit at Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, the world’s largest single aquarium habitat, inside the world’s largest aquarium.

In an online first, visitors to SharkWeek.com, GeorgiaAquarium.org and USTREAM will have 360-degree access to the home of 33 sharks spanning seven species, which includes the largest species of shark, the whale shark, in addition to elegant rays and a full underwater ecosystem. Shark Cam audiences will be able to pan, tilt and move the 360-degree camera, powered by Immersive Media, to find their favorite shark-filled perspective. A second camera on the north side of the exhibit will offer an alternative stationary underwater view.

From August 12-16, Shark Cam visitors will be treated to twice-daily feedings and can participate in daily live chats with an underwater shark expert, submitting their questions in the social stream and to @SharkWeek on Twitter. Fin-atics can also visit SHARK WEEK on Facebook for regular updates, follow SHARK WEEK on Socialcam for Shark Cam selects, pin their favorite #SharkCam photos to a special Pinterest board and more.

For super shark fans, there is also the opportunity to go from watching to diving by participating in Georgia Aquarium’s Journey with Gentle Giants Program. Guests twelve years of age and older are given the opportunity to get face-to-fin in the Ocean Voyager exhibit while friends, family and fellow Shark Cam lovers watch the underwater adventure from home. Participants in this one-of-a-kind experience can choose to swim at the surface or dive down deeper (with SCUBA certification). For more information, visit www.georgiaaquarium.org/swim-with-whale-sharks.

Ustream Adds Former WebEx and Yammer Executives to Accelerate Company Growth

Live, Social Video Streaming Leader Welcomes David Thompson as SVP of Marketing and Matt Imbach as VP of Finance

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.– August 06, 2012 – Ustream Inc., the leader in live, social streaming video, today announced the appointment of two new executive team members: David Thompson, the former CMO of WebEx, joins as senior vice president of marketing and Matt Imbach, the former VP of Finance at Yammer, joins as vice president of finance. Thompson and Imbach bring extensive leadership experience from both startup and large established companies to further drive growth and market awareness for Ustream.

“Today, live, social video is the new way to broadcast, from everyday life events, to celebrity announcements, corporate communications and protests around the world,” said Brad Hunstable, CEO and co-founder of Ustream. “We are rapidly expanding our business to monetize both live video content and broadcaster products. David and Matt’s experiences in both media and Saas companies will enable Ustream increase momentum as the leading live, social video platform.”

“I’m very excited to join Ustream as the live video market is poised for massive growth,” remarked Thompson. “The rapid growth stage Ustream finds itself in now is highly reminiscent of the early stages of the web conferencing market and Ustream already enjoys a dominant position in the market. I’m looking forward to increasing the company’s brand footprint and helping drive significant upside in revenue and traffic.”

“Ustream’s unique business model gives it significant competitive advantage,” noted Imbach. “We have an exciting opportunity to drive scalable growth with both high margin products and media properties that will allow the company to grow very rapidly.”

Thompson joins Ustream with more than 20 years of both startup and established software company experience. Prior to his current position, Thompson was the CEO and co-founder of SaaS marketing company Genius.com, where he grew the company to more than 70 employees, achieved over 2,000 percent revenue growth and raised more than $45 million in venture capital from top tier venture capital firms such as Accel and MDV. Earlier, Thompson served as the CMO of WebEx, where he named and launched the company, positioned it as a leading business brand and managed award-winning branding campaigns and IPO communications. Thompson is a graduate of Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts in humanities. He will lead the company’s branding, product marketing and corporate communications.

Matt Imbach joins Ustream with more than a decade of experience in emerging growth companies, specifically in the social network industry in Silicon Valley. Prior to Ustream, Imbach was the vice president of finance for Yammer, where he led finance aspects of venture capital and built core financial functions for the company. He has also held the title of vice president of finance for Ning, Inc., Joyent, Inc. and Zoom Corporation. Imbach is a graduate of West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Science in business administration and major in finance. He will manage the company’s finances and HR.

Over the past year, Ustream has seen an increase in adoption and growth for its live video stream capabilities and content. In 2011 global viewers tuned into more than two million live and recorded broadcasts. Every month, about 51 million viewers visit Ustream and all together those viewers have watched 49 million hours of content per month with an average view time of 43.6 minutes per unique visitor. In 2012, Ustream has become ubiquitous with citizen journalist as citizen unrest erupts around the world and Internet access is limited.

UrtheCast Signs Exclusive Deal with Ustream to Air Space Programming

UrtheCast – the first high-definition (HD), streaming video platform of Earth – and Ustream Inc., the leader in live, interactive, streaming video, announced today an exclusive partnership to power UrtheCast’s weekly live

Vancouver and San Francisco (PRWEB) July 09, 2012- UrtheCast – the first high-definition (HD), streaming video platform of Earth – and Ustream Inc., the leader in live, interactive, streaming video, announced today an exclusive partnership to power UrtheCast’s weekly live programming to Ustream’s wide audience. The UrtheCastTV program provides insight into the realm of a space technology startup, moving toward launch in early 2013. Viewers can tune in to UrtheCast’s Ustream channel at http://www.ustream.tv/urthecast every Tuesday, at 4:00 p.m. PST.

“We’ve been airing our live discussions since March of 2012, and we’re excited to begin working more closely with Ustream as our vision becomes a reality. Ustream’s leading-edge live platform is already being used by innovative teams, such as those at NASA,” said UrtheCast President, Scott Larson. “We expect this new partnership to extend our reach towards a new audience, grow our community, and offer valuable live programming to the masses.”

In 2010, UrtheCast launched its vision to install two cameras to the bottom of the International Space Station and offer a platform to view the Earth for people across the globe. This vision transformed to include the creation of a global community – part of this community has already begun to take shape in the form of Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, and now even more so with Ustream. UrtheCast intends to create not only a new perspective on the world, but a new interactive community. UrtheCast covers issues big and small, with an industry-specific and worldwide perspective. In the live, interactive Ustream chats, viewers can join discussions on app development, rocket science, technology, ground station technology, and social media.

In early 2013, UrtheCast’s two cameras – constructed by the UK’s Rutherford Appleton Labs – will be mounted to the underside of the Russian segment of the ISS. The imagery and video from these cameras will be downlinked to ground stations across the globe. Once on Earth, this data will be processed into HD video.

This video will then be streamed to viewers to experience on their computers or mobile devices. The cameras will provide high-resolution, color image strips of Earth, up to 40-km wide, with a ground pixel size (ground sampling distance) of up to 1.1 meters. As the Space Station passes over a particular geographic location, video data and imagery will be collected of that area, providing the opportunity for awareness of current events across the globe. As another layer of interactivity, users will be able to track the Space Station along its orbital path.

“Ustream is thrilled to help broadcast truly inspiring space experiences with UrtheCast,” said Ruby Tugade, Ustream’s Senior Business Development Manager. “Ustream’s technology makes it possible to share both UrtheCast’s weekly programming, and videos of planet Earth, from space. We are proud to be bringing this extraordinary content to our users across the globe.”

The beta version of the UrtheCast platform goes live in summer of 2012. For a chance to become a beta subscriber, visit http://www.urthecast.com.

Editor-in-Chief of Huffington Post Arianna Huffington and CEO of Ustream to Cheers Partnership with a Live-Broadcast Press Announcement Exclusively on Ustream at 3:30 p.m. EST

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.– June 27, 2012–Ustream Inc., the leader in live, interactive, streaming video, today announced an exclusive agreement with Huffington Post that grants the media outlet access to live-streaming videos from Ustream’s citizen journalists to embed on its breaking news pages. As citizen journalism continues to rise, Ustream has become the popular choice to stream live breaking news reporting. Now by partnering with Huffington Post, Ustream’s live on-the-street content will reach the media outlet’s almost 37 million monthly readers and viewers to provide a diverse perspective of late breaking events around the world.

At 3:30 p.m. (EST) sharp, be part of the groundbreaking exclusive live-press announcement event with Editor-In-Chief of Huffington Post Arianna Huffington and CEO of Ustream Brad Hunstable by watching and providing commentary through Ustream’s exclusive social stream at Ustream.tv/huffingtonpost. Additionally, after the live-announcement, Ustream’s up-and-coming Citizen Journalist Luke “We Are Change” Rudkowski will give his perspective on why being a citizen journalist is important for today’s society especially with this generations’ greater access to mobile devices worldwide.

“We launched Off The Bus in 2007 to go beyond the one-dimensional horse-race aspect of election coverage and actually respond to the widespread dissatisfaction about the way campaigns are covered,” said Arianna Huffington, president and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post Media Group. “So I’m delighted that we are partnering with Ustream for Off The Bus 2012, and renewing our commitment to holding politicians accountable and telling the stories that need to be told by tapping into a wide range of voices and perspectives.”

In the last 3 years, Ustream has seen an almost 50 percent increase in use of mobile devices as the main source of viewing content and 1 out of 8 broadcasts are live from mobile devices. With Huffington Post’s exclusive partnership with Ustream – its readers will now have access to on-the-spot footage of historical events such as:

In addition to the partnership, Huffington Post and Ustream are giving a call out for nominations to anyone who thinks they or someone they know has what it takes to be a citizen journalist for this year’s “Off the Bus Cover the Conventions Contest.” Winners selected from the nomination pool will have all their lodging and expenses paid as they report from on the scene of this year’s political conventions in Charlotte or Tampa. Additionally, Ustream will be offering exclusive training and support to the winners to enhance their skills to become an All-Star Ustream citizen journalist.

To be considered, send a video (less than 2 minutes) and reasons why you or someone you nominated should cover the convention then email it to offthebus@huffingtonpost.com.

“Citizen Journalism is increasingly democratizing the internet with live Ustream news events playing an important role,,” said Brad Hunstable, CEO and co-founder of Ustream. “Our partnership with Huffington Post will further push forward this trend and our mission to enable anyone, anywhere to share their stories. By combining Huffington Post’s world-class news reporting with Ustream’s live video citizen journalism viewers everywhere will now have a raw and unedited perspective of diverse voices on the world’s most important events.”